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The Secretariat of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has issued the following Statement.

Venkatesh, a 29 year young worker of DCIL and the lone bread-earner of the family of two sisters and parents, committed suicide on 4 December, 2017 in protest against Modi Government's decision to Completely privatise the Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCIL) with headquarter at Visakhapatnam. In a delegation, Vankatesh met the local BJP M.P and BJP MLA and urged their intervention against privatisation of DCIL. But, shockingly, both of them refused on the ground that BJP's Central Government had already taken decision to privatise DCIL. In a Suicide note Venkatesh accused Modi Government for its decision to privatise DCIL and local BJP MP and BJP MLA for their refusal to intervene as the reason for his frustration and Suicide. Despite protests and representation by CITU and other trade unions, the Government decided to privatise DCIL. The Workers and the executives of DCL hace since Were Conducting joint agitation demanding reversal of the decision of privatization of DCIL. It is very important to note that the financial performance of DCIL is excellent in that it has been earning profit, generated huge assets including liquidity. Therefore, handing over DCIL to private business is a criminal compromise with the economic strength and interest of the nation and is yet another instance of transferring national asset to private capital by the corporates captive Modi Government. Service to the nation, provided by the DCIL, is better testified from the fact that DCIL has been maintaining our national maritime and navigational facilities of waterways catering yeoman services to all the major and minor ports in the Country, thereby, facilitating international trade and cargo movement. In fact, DCIL was created under public sector to deliver dredging service to the nation to keep the ports as well as channels navigable to facilitate smooth movement of vessels with larger draft. Moreover, DCL has also successfully expanded its dredging services beyond the Country's boundary and has been earning precious foreign exchange executing foreign Orders. CITU condemns Modi Government, being responsible for the shocking Suicide of Venkatesh; demands reversal of the privatization decision of DCIL, demands adequate compensation to the family of deceased and employment to a member of the family. CITU extends full support and solidarity to the ongoing and forthcoming struggle of the DCIL Workers and executives and appeals to the Working class to extend Solidarity with the DCIL Workers.

The Hon’ble Minister of Finance Government of IndiaNorth Block,New Delhi, 110 001

Sub: Trade unions view point on issues to be considered for framing budget for the year 2018-19

Sir,

To start with, we urge you to take the views presented jointly by the trade unions and incorporate them in the budget proposals so that this meeting would be meaningful. We request you not to convert this meeting into a mere a ritual.

Please recall that the Group of Ministers headed by you had an inconclusive discussion with the trade unions on the 12 point charter of demands of the working people of the country, in August 2015. The GoM did not resume the discussions despite requests from the central trade unions. The discussion the Labour Minister held with the central trade unions on 7th November 2017 did not yield any results.

Hence, we feel compelled to reiterate our demands again and present our views as follows:

• Increase budgetary allocations for social sector: The government should increase allocations on social sector and basic essential services like health, education, food security etc in the Union Budget. The necessary financial resources should be raised internally by taxing the rich who have the capacity to pay.• Effective measures against deliberate tax and loan repayment defaults: Effective and firm measures should be taken against deliberate tax default by the big business and corporate lobby to curtail the huge accumulation of unpaid taxes, which have been continuously increasing. Further, wilful default should be made a criminal offence, the list of wilful defaulters should be made public and stringent measures such as fast track Debt Recovery Tribunals should be implemented.• Minimum wage: Minimum wage fixed on the basis of the recommendations of the 15th Indian Labour Conference and the Supreme Court judgment in Raptakos & Brett case and linked to Consumer Price Index, should be guaranteed to all workers. The 7th Pay Commission has worked this to be Rs 18000 per month, which the government has accepted. Hence, the minimum wage should not be less than Rs 18000 per month, which has been the common demand of all the central trade unions. Need based minimum wage should be considered as an essential part of social security. • Resolve demands of the Government employees regarding 7th Pay Commission: All the pending demands of the Government employees in centre and states in regard to 7th pay commission be resolved within time frame including arrears of allowances with effect from 01.01.2016. The autonomous bodies be included into for all the benefits of the 7th pay commission.• Price rise: The prices of essential commodities, particularly of food items have been spiralling making it impossible for the workers and other toiling people to meet their basic daily needs. Speculative forward trading and hoarding are major factors contributing to the price rise. The government should ban speculative forward trading in essential commodities, take strong measures to curtail hoarding and strengthen Public Distribution System, making it universal. Stop the system of cash transfer to beneficiaries’ accounts in lieu of PDS

The Finance Minister held Pre Budget 2018 discussion with the representatives of central trade unions on 5th December 2018. Representatives of all the central trade unions attended the meeting. CITU was represented by its president Hemalata.

The central trade unions jointly presented their views in a note to the Finance Minister. In her intervention Hemalata demanded that the Group of Ministers constituted under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister in 2015 to discuss the demands raised by the trade unions should continue discussions with them and resolve their demands. Instead of focussing on improving ‘ease of doing business’ to benefit the corporates, the government should focus on improving India’s position in ‘Global hunger index’ and closing down the ‘gender gap’ This should be done by increasing allocations for social sector including health and education, to the ICDS, National Health Mission, Midday Meal Programme etc that serve the poor, particularly women and children. ILC recommendations on recognising ‘scheme workers’ as ‘workers’, paying minimum wages to them etc should be implemented.

The government should take strict measures against tax default by big business and corporates. It should focus on employment generation increasing public expenditure on infrastructure. All vacant posts in various government departments including railways etc should be filled up by fresh recruitment. The necessary financial resources should be generated by taxing the rich who have the capacity to pay.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions expresses profound grief at the sudden demise of Com Sukomal Sen, a veteran as well as a stalwart in the country’s working class movement, today at 10 am after prolonged illness. He was 83.

Com Sukomal Sen is one of those veterans in the working class and employees’ movement in the country who contributed immensely both ideologically and organizationally in building broadest unity of the working people and also channelizing the movement in the track of class orientation consistently exposing the successive policy regimes under the capitalist order through its various phases. He was one of the frontline organizers of the state govt employees movement not only in West Bengal but in other states of the country and he was one of the founder leaders of the All India State Govt Employees Federation (AISGEF) since its birth in 1960 and led the Federation as its General Secretary From 1982 to 2008. He was Senior Vice Chairman of AISGEF till his demise.

Along with discharging his leading role in Govt employees’ movement, Comrade Sen was also active in organizing, leading and guiding the trade unions in other sectors as well. He had been the national working committee member of CITU for decades and was elected Vice President of CITU from its national conference at Chandigarh in 2010 and served in that position since 2016 and was elected permanent invitee to CITU national secretariat from its 15th Conference held in Puri in November 2016.

Comrade Sen had been a popular personality in international trade union movement as well. His debut in the international trade union sphere had been with his active contribution in the Directive Committee of the Trade Union International of Public and Allied Employees in 1982 at Prague. In 1996 he was elected General Secretary of TUI Public & Allied Service and played frontline role in leading and coordinating the movement and activities of Govt and public sector employees till he relinquished that position in 2009.

He also played a leading role in championing the cause of working people as Parliamentarian during his 12 years stint as a Member of Rajya Sabha during 1982 to 1994.

Besides playing a frontline role as organizer and leader of the movement of the working class in the field, he also made signal contribution intellectually in the sphere of enriching ideological content of the working class movement. He was a scholarly writer and was the author of ‘Working Class In India-History of Emergence of Movement (1830-2000)”(translated in various Indian languages), “May Day and Eight Hours Struggle in India”, “Communist Manifesto and the Theory of Revolution- a 150th Anniversary Tribute”, “The History of All India State Govt Employees Federation”, “International Working Class Movement-Dynamics of Class Struggle Vs Class Collaboration” outlining the history of World Federation of Trade Unions since its foundation congress in 1945 to World Congress 2011. He also authored books on numerous other subjects viz., on Question of Culture and Social Revolution in Indian Society, Caste Religion and Indian Society, Fascism etc and had been a regular contributor to various journals on political-ideological issues published both in India and abroad. He had been the Editor of the “Employees Forum” the Organ of the All India State Govt Employees Federation since its birth in 1979 for over three decades. And his latest contribution is the two volume book on the subject of October Revolution and its aftermath published recently.

Comrade Sukomal Sen, throughout his active life had been a Communist and displayed his commitment the ideology of revolution in all his activities in all fronts. He had been Central Committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for decades till his demise as ex-officio.

With Comrade Sukomal Sen’s demise, the country lost a stalwart leader of the Working Class movement as well as a Scholar Visionary and a great teacher. At present juncture of the working class movement facing tremendous physical as well as ideological offensives, Comrade Sen’s absence is an irreparable loss.

CITU dips its flag in respect to the memory of the departed leader and conveys heartfelt condolence to all the comrades and his bereaved family members.

· Modi government’s policies and failures are responsible for Price Rise· Countrywide Protest by Workers Against Price Rise on 13 December 2017

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) calls upon the working people throughout the country, its units and affiliated unions of the workers to register countrywide protest against the continuing price rise on 13 December 2017, in every industrial centre, city, town and rural areas by staging demonstrations.

Modi government’s policies are entirely responsible for this price rise, inflicting huge sufferings and miseries on the workers and other sections of toiling masses. In fact, prices are not just increasing; they are being made to increase through policy drive of the Govt to benefit middlemen, big traders, black-marketeers and speculators. This is also an integral part of their policy of “ease of doing business” which is synonymous to “ease of looting the people”.

Despite fraudulent showcasing of fall of price indices occasionally by the Govt, in reality, prices of all essential commodities including food grains, vegetables, transport and health services, medicines, education etc have been consistently increasing; the targeted public distribution system has been made to virtually collapse in most of the states; various conditionalities imposed including AADHAR linkage on everything deprives larger section of poorer population from the PDS, mocking at the Food Security Act. Price of petroleum and diesel has been increasing in regular interval and LPG subsidy is being cut despite decline and/or virtual stagnation of crude oil price in international market generating cascading effect on prices of all essential commodities. On the other hand farmers are not getting the remunerative price of their produce which is way below the ruling prices of food grains and other agri-products in the market. And in the midst of such horrifying syndrome of rising prices, speculation in commodity market is going on creating big fortune for corporate traders and speculators. Demonetisation followed by GST has added further fuel to fire of price-rise. It is not without reason that under Modi’s rule, the country’s position is going up in “ease of doing business” index simultaneously pushing the country down in respect of “Hunger” index.

While continuing price rise is putting the mass of the common people in unimaginable miseries making human survival difficult and causing death due to hunger, the Govt of the day is further adding to their miseries by depriving them with proper minimum wage. All welfare expenditure including on MGNREGA is drastically cut down, as reflected in the sharp decline in work days available under MGNREGA throughout the country.

In this background, CITU calls upon the working class to intensify countrywide campaign against the grossly inhuman policy of the Modi Govt in promoting price-rise for the benefit of big-business-trader-speculator combine and launch militant demonstration as widespread as possible on 13th December 2017 and burning the effigy of the Modi-Govt. Issued by

The unprecedented joint trade union ‘mahapadav’ of workers concluded in the evening of 11th November 2017 with a clarion call to the working class of the country to intensify the struggle against the anti worker, anti people and anti national policies of the BJP led government.

The huge mass of workers who gathered from all over the country and from all sectors of the economy enthusiastically endorsed the unanimous call of the leadership of the joint trade union movement, made in the light of the 8th August 2017 national convention, to prepare for an indefinite country wide general strike if the government does not change tack and heed the voice of the working class. The trade unions decided to chalk out a prolonged course of agitations and actions towards that objective.

The string of actions will start with district level joint conventions to be completed by the first week of January 2018 followed by joint ‘Satyagraha’/ courting of arrest at the district headquarters in the last week of January. The common date for the courting of arrest in all districts in the state will be decided by the joint meeting of the state leadership of the trade unions.

The historic three days’ ‘mahapadav’ of workers near Parliament, led by the joint trade union movement ended in the evening of 11th November by calling upon the working class of the country to intensify, heighten and broaden the joint struggle to force the reversal of the anti worker, anti people and anti national policies of the BJP led government at the centre.

Towards this direction, the ‘mahapadav’ reiterated the Declaration of the national joint convention of the trade unions held on 8th August 2017 calling upon the working class to prepare for a country wide indefinite strike if the BJP led government failed to take any positive measures on the 12 point charter of demands of the entire trade union movement.

Lakhs of workers from all over the country representing all the sectors of our economy have participated in the ‘mahapadav’ and demonstrated their anger against the policies of the BJP led government at the centre. Even after the ‘mahapadav’ was over, huge processions of hundreds of workers were reaching the Parliament Street, as the trains they were travelling in were delayed by several hours. Thousands of workers had to return back from the railway stations in their states as several trains were cancelled.

The central trade unions congratulated the working class of the country for their overwhelming and enthusiastic response to the unprecedented ‘mahapadav’. The exemplary discipline exhibited by the workers from different states and industries belonging to different organisations during the entire duration of the three days ‘mahapadav’ was highly significant. The massive participation of women workers, not only scheme workers but from different sectors, and young workers was another significant feature.

The central trade unions heartily congratulate the working class of the country for their overwhelming and enthusiastic response to the unprecedented three day joint ‘mahapadav’ near Parliament on 9-11 November 2017. The exemplary discipline exhibited by the workers, from different states and different organisations, during the entire duration of the three days ‘mahapadav’ was highly significant and noteworthy. The massive participation of women workers including scheme workers, vendors, domestic workers, construction and home based workers as well as large number of young workers was another significant feature of the ‘mahapadav’.

Lakhs of workers from all over the country representing all the sectors of our economy have demonstrated their anger against the anti worker, anti people and anti national policies being pursued by the BJP led government at the centre. The ‘mahapadav’ has also once again displayed the determination of the working class to intensify the united struggle brushing aside the machinations of the communal divisive forces trying to disrupt their unity.

The central trade unions deplore the attitude of the BJP led government in totally ignoring the sufferings of the workers due to its policies and its stubborn insistence in going ahead with the very same disastrous policies. In such a situation the central trade unions have no other option but to intensify their struggle to reverse the anti worker anti people anti national policies of the BJP government to force their reversal.

Towards this objective, in the light of our 8th August, 2017 National Convention of workers held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi the central trade unions call upon the entire working class of the country to prepare for a prolonged agitation including strike. If the Government does not change its attitude, the CTUs will be forced to explore for the country wide national indefinite strike. In the meanwhile, prolonged agitations and actions will continue in the next phase of our united trade union movement. As a follow-up of this workers/employees’ 3 days padav, we take following activities in the coming months:

· Complete joint district level conventions by the first week of January 2018· District level ‘Satyagraha’ in the last week of January; the common date for all districts to be decided by the state level joint meeting of central trade unions and industrial federations· Sectoral/ industry level joint strike whenever the government takes measures at privatisation· Protest actions on the day of presentation of Union Budget if it contains anti worker measures· Central trade unions to meet soon after presentation of Union Budget to plan future course of action

The thousands of workers who stormed the national capital and assembled at Parliament Street in the national capital Delhi, to participate in the first day of the three days ‘mahapadav’ on 9th November 2017 enthusiastically endorsed the call of the speakers to intensify the struggle against the anti worker, anti people and anti national policies of the BJP led government and prepare for a countrywide indefinite general strike if the government fails to concede their demands.

Workers from all over the country representing many sector - public and private, permanent employees and contract, casual workers, state and central government employees, banks, insurance, telecom, railways, defence, and the various schemes of the government of India participated in the ‘mahapadav’ on the first day.

Leaders of the federations spoke in the second part of the first session. It was most significant that the leaders of the two major national federations of the railway employees - Shiv Gopal Mishra, general secretary of All India Railwaysmen’s Federation and Raghavaiagh, general secretary of National Federation of Indian Railwaymen - have announced that they would join the indefinite strike whenever the joint trade union platform gave the call. Leaders of several other all Industrial federations including Venkatachalam, general secretary of All India Bank Employees’ Association, Subhash Lamba, additional general secretary of All India State Government Employees’ Association and secretary of Electricity Employees’ Federation of India, KK Divakaran, general secretary of All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation, C Sreekumar, general secretary of All India Defence Employees’ Federation, Jagdeesh Sreemali, VS Dahiya, GR Shiv Shankar, Ravi Sen, Peelimuthu, Kalyan Sengupta, also joined them in endorsing the call addressed the huge gathering and announced they would join the indefinite country wide general strike whenever the joint trade union platform took the decision. Thampan Thomas (HMS), Vijay Pal Singh (AIUTUC), Anil Sharma (TUCC), Sonia (SEWA), Mahendra Parida (AICCTU), Natarajan (LPF) and Thomas Joseph (UTUC) also addressed

The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions, comprising Central Trade Union Organisations and all major industry/establishment wise federations have decided to stage three days’ mass dharna before Parliament against the anti-worker, anti-people and anti-national policies of the Central Govt on 9-11 November 2017. The Joint Trade Union Platform represents workers and employees from all major sectors of industries and services viz., coal, steel, transport, telecom, petroleum, electricity, port & docks, engineering, construction, scheme-workers etc and employees of Central Govt and state govt, Railways, banks, insurance, defence production, etc. This ‘mahapadav’ is intended to demand the government to concede the unanimous demands which the joint trade union movement has been raising since the last over eight years. It is a step towards preparation for the next higher phase of united struggles including indefinite countrywide strike action, if the government continues to ignore the demands of the workers and proceed with its pro corporate agenda.

The anti-people and anti worker policies of Govt at the centre are inflicting horrific miseries and hardships on the crores of common people from every walk of life. Unemployment is getting aggravated with every passing day, calling the bluff on the Modi Govt’s promise of generating additional two crore employment every year. In fact employment generation has already turned negative following the increasing phenomenon of closure and shut-down of industries. Demonetisation, under the utterly false pretext of curbing black money, had further depressed wages and perpetuated closure of industries. It has shattered the entire economy, particularly the unorganised sector, the SME sector and the small traders and peasants in turn adversely impacting the lives, wages and earnings of crores of toiling people. Even after one year, the economy is yet to recover from its damaging impact. Hasty implementation of GST had further aggravated the miseries of people through fuelling price rise and jeopardising services, trade and various occupations. Despite the sharp fall in international price of crude oil, the government refuses to pass on the relief to the common people; instead, the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas are continuously increased resulting in cascading effect on the prices of all essential commodities.

The Govt has been arrogantly ignoring the 12 point charter of demands including minimum wage, social security and workers’ status and accompanying benefits for the scheme workers; it is going ahead with privatisation and mass scale contractorisation. The constitutional and statutory provisions for ensuring ‘same wages and benefits for same work’ are being denied to contract workers despite Supreme Court’s categorical judgment. The Govt has recklessly embarked upon privatisation of all public utility services like health, education, transport, Indian Railways, financial services electricity, water etc through multiple routes including whole sale outsourcing. It has allowed 100% FDI in almost all sensitive sectors including defence production, railways, oil, minerals, port and dock etc. It is destroying indigenous production capabilities to serve the interests of MNCs, under the dubious veil of “Make in India” slogan. The national interests are being severely compromised through such disastrous moves.

In addition, in order to promote “ease of doing business”, the Govt has embarked on arrogant pro-employer amendments of all labour laws aimed at imposing conditions of slavery on the working people. Already, the text of the Code on Wages Bill, Code on Industrial Relations Bill, Code on Social Security Bill, Factory (Amendment) Bill etc are in public domain. All these are designed to push the overwhelming majority of workers and employees out of the regulatory purview of most of the labour laws, curb workers’ right to form unions and protest/agitate including right to strike, and dismantle whatever existing meagre social security provisions.

Simultaneously, the communal forces, with the open and active patronage of the Govt and ruling polity are carrying out a dubious divisive and disruptive campaign to spread hatred among people, killing innocent people, particularly from the most downtrodden sections. The country is witnessing the conspiracy to create unprecedented disruption in the unity of the toiling people of the country. Trade unions are fighting against such disastrous designs of spreading poison of disruption in the society.

The Govt’s response to the 12 point charter of demands, in the meeting with all central Trade Unions called by the Labour Ministry on 7th November 2017, remains virtually negative on all counts reflecting their bias against the interests of the mass of the working people.

In totality, the policies of the Govt are destructive towards the interests of the workers, farmers and the common people at large and also against the national interest.

Representing the workers who generate the GDP and the wealth for the country, the true patriotic people concerned about welfare of all sections of toiling people, the Joint platform of united trade union movement is in a struggle to save the people and the country and force a reversal of the anti-people and anti-national policy regime. This determination is getting reflected in numerous struggles, agitations and strikes in various sectors of the economy, both organised and unorganised, during the intervening period. Lakhs of workers from all over the country and across the sectors are going to converge in the massive three days dharna before the Parliament on 9-11 November 2017 to pave the way for further heightened resistance struggle in the days to come to reverse and defeat the anti-people and anti-national policy regime in order to save the country and the people.